


Mokou's Yakitori Stand

by StudentOfEtherium



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Conversations, Gen, Yakitori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28573779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StudentOfEtherium/pseuds/StudentOfEtherium
Summary: Sumireko sighed again and sat down. Perhaps it was hopeless. She had gotten herself totally lost and there was seemingly no way out. Of course, she could just wake up, but that would mean her time in Gensokyo would come to an end for now, and she couldn't have that.She had stopped in front of an especially large stalk of bamboo which now proved to be a good backrest as she sat and caught her breath. However, as she did so, she began to smell something peculiar. Something familiar. Sumireko stood up, and after taking a second to figure out where the smell was coming from, she began moving again. It wasn't more than a minute or two before she came to a small clearing.In the center of the clearing was a food cart. A curtain covered the front, obscuring the view inside. Sumireko approached slowly, uncertain of what she would find inside. However, as she brushed past the fabric, she found it rather simply housing a single young woman, seemingly no older than her. She couldn't help but stare.-------------------------------------------------------Sumireko and Mokou have a conversation
Relationships: Usami Sumireko & Fujiwara no Mokou
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Mokou's Yakitori Stand

Sumireko sighed. She had been looking forward to visiting Gensokyo again, but when she arrived, she quickly learned that every last one of them was busy. Something about preparing for a festival. It sounded exciting and all, and Sumireko would do her best to visit while the festival was ongoing, but unfortunately, that left her with no one to talk to.

But she wasn't going to let that stop her! Instead, she took it as an opportunity to explore Gensokyo on her own. Despite the time she had spent in the magical land, she didn't know much about the geography or surrounding sights. If she couldn't have fun with her friends, then she would make her own fun.

She had set out aimlessly, with no destination in mind. It's hard to have an idea of where you're going when you don't know the area. That was fine enough, for a while, but it wasn't long before before she realized she had no idea where she was. Around her, in every direction, was bamboo. It hadn't stood out to her until she was surrounded, and by then it was too late. She was lost. Even the massive mountain that should have been plainly visible was nowhere to be seen, eliminating her only hope at a landmark. She continued to wander for some time, in hopes she would find her way out, but that only confused her further. Any attempts at backtracking failed.

Sumireko sighed again and sat down. Perhaps it was hopeless. She had gotten herself totally lost and there was seemingly no way out. Of course, she could just wake up, but that would mean her time in Gensokyo would come to an end for now, and she couldn't have that.

She had stopped in front of an especially large stalk of bamboo which now proved to be a good backrest as she sat and caught her breath. However, as she did so, she began to smell something peculiar. Something familiar. Sumireko stood up, and after taking a second to figure out where the smell was coming from, she began moving again. It wasn't more than a minute or two before she came to a small clearing.

In the center of the clearing was a food cart. A curtain covered the front, obscuring the view inside. Sumireko approached slowly, uncertain of what she would find inside. However, as she brushed past the fabric, she found it rather simply housing a single young woman, seemingly no older than her. She couldn't help but stare.

If the woman noticed her, she didn't show it. In her hands was a newspaper, one that Sumireko recognized as common in Gensokyo. Sumireko stood in place, not moving, for a couple of minutes. The woman on the other side of the counter continued reading her newspaper. Eventually, however, that state was broken as she went to turn the page.

“You gonna order something or what?”

“Huh?”

The woman rolled her eyes and looked up at Sumireko. “Are you going to order something? If not, clear out. Other paying customers might want to use this space.”

Sumireko ducked her head out of the curtain. There was no one around, and as far as she could tell, no one was approaching. The only sounds were distant birds and… a grill, next to the woman. Sumireko turned back around, hoping to get a glimpse of what was being cooked.

“Is that… yakitori?” The woman groaned. “Yes, it is. Are you going to order some or are you going to leave?” Sumireko sat down. “Well, I've been trying to leave this forest, but at long as I'm unable to, I might as well eat.” The woman folded the newspaper and stood up, laying the paper on the stool as she did. “Alright.” She walked over to the grill and fiddled with it a little. A few minutes passed, during which the woman did little asides from flipping the meat as needed. After several minutes of awkward silence between the pair, she picked them up off the grill and placed them in a basket off to the side. Then, she turned around and placed that basket in front of Sumireko. “Here you go.”

Sumireko looked down, then up at the woman. “Thanks.” She stared at it for a second, then took a bite. “Oh, this is good!” The woman smiled as she sat back in her seat. “Thanks.” Instead of picking her newspaper back up, she leaned forward. “What's your name, kid?”

“I'm Sumireko Usami. I'm not from around here.” The woman shrugged. “New people come and go. I stopped paying attention, after a while. I'm Mokou, by the way. Fujiwara no Mokou.” Sumireko thought for a second. “I think I've heard people in Gensokyo talk about you before.” Mokou laughed. “I'm surprised they do. I don't exactly get out much. Not really my speed.” She gestured behind her, then continued. “I much prefer running my humble little restaurant. Light on customers, but I appreciate the few that come through.” She turned around and grabbed another skewer off the grill.

As she did, Sumireko spoke up. “So do you just sit around in the forest all day, waiting for customers to show up? That seems awfully boring.” Mokou took a bite from her yakitori before continuing. “It's less boring than you'd expect. People know to stop by when they want. I get ads run in the paper for that reason. Besides, it's novel. Things get boring if I do the same thing for too long. In a hundred years or so, I'll retire from this and find something else to focus on.” Sumireko was shocked. “A hundred years? Are you a yokai?” After a pause for another bite, Mokou responded. “Nope, human. Just an old one.”

“You don't look old. I thought you were my age.” Mokou laughed. “Oh, trust me kiddo, I'm nowhere near that young. I've outlived dynasties.” Another bite. “Immortality is fun at first, but in my old age, settling down with a yakitori food cart in the forest is my best option.” 

Sumireko’s eyes grew wide. “You're immortal! That's incredible.” Mokou shrugged. “Eh. It's fun at first, but after a while, it gets old. Humans lives aren't meant to be lived as long as mine has. Sometimes I'll blink and new trends will have appeared.” She gestured behind her. “This is a great example. Bought this cart about eighty years ago. Yakitori wasn't really a thing when I was mortal and by the time I looked back, it was huge! So I decided to get involved in it. Helps to have a hobby and all that, you know?”

Sumireko frowned. “Well, don't… Don't you want to do something more meaningful, if you're immortal? Make art so incredibly detailed that it takes lifetimes to complete, or ponder philosophical questions that nobody has found an answer to yet. Wouldn't you want to do something more meaningful than running a yakitori cart in the middle of a bamboo forest?”

Mokou shrugged. “Who's to say I haven't already done that. I've lived a very long time. I've made incredible art, then burned it at the end. I've answered unanswered questions no one else has come close to reaching conclusions on. It gets boring. I need something new, so instead of all that, I'm grilling yakitori.” 

Sumireko bit her lip. “Why don't you at least have your yakitori stand in the human village, or somewhere where yokai live? That way you could have more customers, meet more people. That would be more exciting.” Mokou sighed. “That's exactly why I don't. I've been here long enough to already know everyone here. New people show up eventually, but when they do, they find their way here eventually. This forest is big and it's easy to get lost, but if anyone sticks around long enough, they'll find me eventually.”

“Oh, I see. Is that some sort of magic effect this forest has?” Mokou chuckled. “Nah. I just know the places that wanderers will end up. Knowing where your customers will be is an important part of running a food cart.” Sumireko looked down. “Oh… Wait, does that mean you know your way around the forest?” Mokou nodded proudly. “Yup! When I'm not here, selling yakitori, I'm usually off helping people lost in the forest. It's not good for business to have news of lost travelers starving to death nearby.” Sumireko nodded along with that. “Huh… Makes sense.” She paused to finish her yakitori, then continued. “You know, Miss Fujiwara, you're really interesting.” The white-haired immortal laughed. “I don't really think so. It's all just the immortality. Talk to any of the yokai around here and they'll have much more interesting stories to talk about, I'm sure.”

Sumireko shook her head. “Not true! I'd love to talk to you some more! You seem really interesting.” Mokou smiled. “Why thank you, Usami, but I assure you, you can do better than talking to some yakitori saleswoman in the forest.” Sumireko shrugged. “Well, maybe, but everyone is busy today. I'm sure this won't be the last time that happens during one of my visits. Plus, your yakitori is good! I want to have it again!”

Mokou smiled and turned away. When she turned back, she was holding a skewer. “Here. Have an extra for the road. On the house.” Sumireko bowed. “Thank you, Miss Fujiwara! Oh, but how will I pay? I don't have any money with me.” Mokou waved dismissively. “I'll keep you on tab. Pay me some other time.”

Sumireko bowed once more and turned around. She took a bite as she brushed past the curtain and faced the dense forest of bamboo. Before she could leave, Mokou shouted from behind, “You need me to help you find the right way out? You won't find it on your own.” Sumireko shook her head. “Nah. It's a pretty area, and when I want to leave, I just need to wake up. Don't worry about me.” She started walking away into the forest, and it wasn't long before the clearing had vanished. Back at the stall, Mokou cleared up the mess left by the meal, then picked the newspaper back up and returned to reading it, waiting for the next customer to stumble upon the clearing and stop for a bite to eat.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first attempt writing Touhou fic and truth be told i've only been in the fandom for like two days but after learning that Mokou runs a yakitori, i just knew i had to make that into a fic and now here we are. maybe more will happen


End file.
